2013 Ellen Reavis Race for Autism

Yesterday we had the amazing pleasure of attending the 2013 Ellen Reavis Race for Autism, in Albuquerque, NM! Here are some photos from the event:

Over 700 people came to race for autism! Some came in groups, together as families, some even came dressed in super hero capes!!

And....we're off!! The first person to cross the finish line took about 30 minutes, and ran the entire 3 miles!

Many people who did not come to participate in the race, came and watched from the side-lines, cheering people on and holding signs.

There were many booths set up on the sidelines, representing different organizations. All organizations shared a common goal: helping people with disabilities in one way or another.

There were also bouncy castles, face painting, and rock climbing, and pony rides for the children who attended!

For more photos, view our slideshow here: http://www.photosnack.com/my-slideshows/details/p7x9ekjk?jsalbum=1

Questions, comments, etc: thecommunicareproject@gmail.com 

Share your story as part of Autism Awareness Month! More info here: http://thecommunicareproject.blogspot.com/2013/04/april-is-autism-awareness-month.html

Real People. Real Experiences. Real Stories. - Autism Awareness Month

Today we have the pleasure of sharing with you a story sent to us by a speech pathologist/mother of a child with autism!

"Today, I had the pleasure of joining countless other parents and advocates at the University of New Mexico Center for Developmental Disabilities. A ceremony was held outdoors there, where Governor Susana Martinez signed HB.22 into law. She was joined by Bernalillo legislators, Rep. James Smith (R) and Senator Bill O’Neill (D), who sponsored the bill as a measure of bipartisan legislation to expand coverage from the 2009 Health Care Purchasing Act to cover public employees, state workers, municipal employees, and public school teachers.

Governor Martinez spoke to the crowd of families and advocates, after being introduced by the Executive Director Sara Baca, of the New Mexico Autism Society. Ms. Baca presented Governor Martinez with a plaque and a t-shirt from the Ellen Reavis Race for Autism which is occurring tomorrow, April 5, 2013 in Albuquerque. The governor spoke about personal accounts about how family members deal with caring for loved ones with disabilities, referencing her life, caring for her disabled sister for the past 7 years. She spoke about a personal story shared by one of the bill’s sponsor, who as a teacher at an East Mountain school had no coverage for her child with autism. During her speech, Ms. Baca’s own son, who is on the autism spectrum, stood next to the Governor, and passed her pens to her for the signing. Governor Martinez donned the shirt that was presented to her prior to signing the bill into law, and placed a signature puzzle design scarf around the child’s neck.

Following the signing, the Governor was greeted by lines of families wishing to offer their appreciation, and to have their picture taken with her. Many of them had short personal stories to share with her, about how this expansion bill will impact their family. I also had the pleasure of meeting Governor Martinez. I shared with her that as a mother of a child with autism and a speech language pathologist, I realize how much of an important step this is and what a difference this will make in the lives of many.

This is one step toward helping the 1 in 50 children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders. There are many more steps that need to be taken. There are still gaps; there are many families with no insurance at all, still others who have insurance but the deductibles and copays are so high in order to keep the premiums affordable, that the appropriate therapies are still cost prohibitive. Awareness and acceptance are necessary and key to the future of these families."

-Sherri North, MS CCC-SLP

Sherri North, MS CCC-SLP with Governor Susana Martinez

Questions, comments, etc: thecommunicareproject@gmail.com 

Share your story as part of Autism Awareness Month! More info here: http://thecommunicareproject.blogspot.com/2013/04/april-is-autism-awareness-month.html

April is Autism Awareness Month

It is finally April 1st and we can now begin to participate in Autism Awareness Month!

     When searching the web we came across many different definitions of Autism. Many said it was a mental condition which affects people's ability to communicate, understand language, and/or develop social relationships. Some definitions or explanations suggested that all people with Autism experienced the same 'symptoms,' and almost all definitions only talked about Autism in children, and did not mention Autism in adults. 

     Certain parts of different definitions we found were accurate, however quite a few were inaccurate in one way or another. So, if we can't find an accurate definition of Autism, what is it?

      The word Autism can refer to a number of subcategories that fall under the category of ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorders. Some of these subcategories are Autism, Aspergers, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder[CDD]. 
     
     Still, this doesn't help! We still haven't answered the big question: "What is Autism?" But that's just it, there is no answer, because it is different for every child. You can't define autism because it is not constant, never the same. 

     So, we'd like to ask you to share your story! We will be sharing stories via this blog all through April in honor of Autism Awareness Month. Tell us what Autism is to you, based on your experiences. Share a story about something that has happened to you or a family member, relating to autism - good or bad! Ask questions and give advice!  We're looking for all of the following: stories, questions, comments, advice, and anything else you can think of!


     Please send in any submissions, stories, questions, or comments to thecommunicareproject@gmail.com. Stories and comments will be published, and questions will be published and answered on this blog unless otherwise specified. All submissions will remain anonymous. Even if you do not want your story, question, or comment published we would love to hear from you, and any questions or comments you have will be responded to by a member of the Communicare Project. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!

     Also, a HUGE apology for our absence. We were unable to access our email account (and therefore our blogspot account) for the past 2 weeks and just had all accounts reset yesterday. We have spent the past day attempting to respond to the many emails we have received during our absence, if you have not yet received a response you can expect one soon! Thank you for your patience!

National Deaf History Month (March 13 - April 15)

     National Deaf History Month began when two employees at the Martin Luther King Jr library in DC began teaching their colleagues sign language. These lessons evolved into Deaf Awareness Week, which was celebrated by the library. In 1996 the National Association of the Deaf wanted the week to become a full month, and in 1997 Deaf Awareness Week became National Deaf History Month. 

Important dates in National Deaf History Month:

     National Deaf History Month begins on March 13th in order to commemorate the election of Gallaudet University's first deaf president in 1988. NDHM goes through the date April 8th because on this date in the year 1864 President Lincoln signed a charter that allowed deaf students to receive degrees. On April 15th, 1817 the first permanent school for the deaf was established in Hartford, CT.

     Each of these events represent advancements for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Gallaudet University is a central icon within the deaf community, it is the only university in the world that is solely for deaf and hard of hearing students. What the students had to do in order to get a deaf president was just as inspiring as the school itself: the students protested in for their right to a deaf president. Students camped out on the Gallaudet campuses, and the classes stopped. This protest lasted for eleven days and 130 students were arrested before they were granted their wishes. "Deaf Power" was expressed throughout Gallaudet. 
     The American School for the Deaf was the first permanent school for the deaf established in the Western Hemisphere.
     The charter that President Lincoln signed, allowing deaf students to receive degrees, was called the Enabling Act. 

Special Education in Public Schools

     Whether a school is good or bad is hard to determine, and it seems impossible to find the perfect school. There will always be something wrong, a certain teacher, student, or the classes themselves. What about the special education programs? The schools don't have therapists waiting around for a differently-abled child to apply to the school. Public schools have special education programs which entail taking the students out of their classes and separating them from the rest of the students for a certain amount of time.  If a child is being pulled out of class every day for 'special ed' then that's how some students will diversify him/her from the rest of the students. How does that promote social interaction and integration with the other kids?

      However not having special education in the schools would not help the problem either. Some children really need that extra help throughout the day. And when there is no special education system in the school, and the school does not recognize the student's needs, things become worse. For example, just recently, a 7 year old child was charged with battery for punching his teacher. This child has autism, ADHD, obsessional defiant disorder , and audio-schizophrenia. This child has a care plan or behavioral plan that the school was ordered to follow; this would have contained things like what to do when the child throws a fit or gets upset. The members of staff deviated from the behavior plan; they had been told that when he got upset they were to leave him alone and were not to go near him. "Instead, a teacher took the child's arm to pull him up from the floor, where he was on his back and kicking." The Mother says that a teacher "provoked him and then [the boy] punched her and now [he] has battery charges."(source) 
      Now, it would possibly be understandable, if the child had been 18 about to leave the school and had punched a teacher for no reason. But this was a 7 year old boy, there could have been a number of things that "provoked" him, however despite any of those reasons, the teachers knew that the child had conditions such as autism, ADHD, and ODD, and still knew that there was a care plan put in place and knew what it was, and still disobeyed. And, if the teacher had not known that the child was differently-abled, and had not seen the care plan, then that is another problem with the school. 
     And this is not the only case where this has happened, in Febuary of 2012 a 5 year old boy with ADHD was charged with battery on an officer. The school had a police officer come to the school building and talk to the child about his bad behavior; when the police officer entered the room the child became scared and hit the officer. In April, 2012, a 6 year old boy was charged with battery for kicking his principal.  
    So what are we to do? By having full special education in schools, the students are diversified, and separated, making it impossible to be completely integrated into society with the other kids. But without special education students do not get the proper care that they need and deserve. And if you have it balanced, with a care plan for the student and a teacher's aid in the room, it seems to get worse, to the point where a 5, 6, and 7 year old are arrested. 
     
What do you think should happen with the special education in schools? 

7 year old charged with battery: http://pharostribune.com/local/x36435372/Police-charge-7-year-old-with-battery
6 year old charged with battery: http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/kindergartener-charged-battery-why-criminalizing-kids-175600847.html
5 year old arrested and charged with battery: http://www.kcra.com/5-Year-Old-Handcuffed-Charged-With-Battery-On-Officer/-/11798090/12648852/-/goag4t/-/index.html

[These views are generalized, and do not apply to all schools. Your school's special education system may be awesome. If so, please email us about how awesome it is and why: thecommunicareproject@gmail.com ]

Learn About: Meniere's Disease

Please remember: This is just a basic overview of what Meniere's Disease is and how it affects people.
Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder that affects balance and hearing. A person with Meniere's disease will have 'attacks' or 'episodes' where he/she will have a loss of hearing, a change in pressure in the ear, or will experience a loud ringing. 
A person's hearing tends to get better in between 'attacks,' but their overall hearing gets progressively worse over time. 

Meniere's disease affects many people, and the exact cause is unclear, but just like with any other disability, a person with Meniere's disease can live a normal life.  

A common symptom of Meniere's disease is Vertigo. Vertigo is the feeling that you are spinning, moving, or that the world is spinning or moving around you. Vertigo is often associated with dizziness. 

No dominant and proven cure exists for this Meniere's disease, but there are treatments to help reduce Vertigo, fatigue, and certain medications can be prescribed to reduce the amount of fluid in the ear. [All methods of medication/treatment should be discussed with a medical professional.]

Many people who suffer from Meniere's disease wear hearing aids, which help with the 'attacks' and (depending on the person) help them adapt to their progressively declining hearing. (Hearing aids in no way help reduce hearing loss)

Meniere's disease has even proved helpful for people like actress Katie Leclerc who suffers from Meniere's, and is now the co-star of a show where she plays a deaf girl switched at birth with a hearing girl. 

Just like with any 'disability,' having Meniere's Disease, or being deaf or hard of hearing, does not need to affect your social, academic, and/or professional career.


For more information: http://www.menieres.org/ 
Katie Leclerc interview: http://abilitymagazine.com/Katie-Leclerc.html

Questions? Comments? Email us at thecommunicareproject@gmail.com

10 Myths about Autism

Myth [mith] (n): a false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.

10 Myths about autism and people with autism, and why they are untrue.

• People with autism don't want friends, and are antisocial. 

Many people with autism struggle with social skills, making them seem unsocial or shy, but that's just because they are unable to express their feelings in the same way as everyone else.

• Autistic people do not understand, and cannot feel, emotions.

Autistic people are often times more empathetic than non-autistics. [ http://www.autismandempathy.com/ ] Autistic people can and do fall in love and get hurt just as easily as any other human being. 

• The disorder of autism gets worse over time. 

"Autism and autism spectrum disorders are not inherently degenerative conditions. In fact, some patients have been known to slough off the symptoms of autism altogether with the right combination of medications and psychological guidance." Source

• Autism is caused by bad parenting. 

Autism is not caused by anything in particular. A child cannot 'catch' autism as they would a cold or flu. In the 1950's autism was said to be caused by 'refrigerator mothers' - mothers who lacked emotional warmth. This has been disproven many times.

• Autistic kids are just like Rain Man. 

Raymond (Rain Man) was a character in Rain Man, a 1988 film, which was one of the first times the world was told about autism and people with autism. Raymond was an autistic man who was unable to communicate or interact socially on many levels, and, among other things, his autism was portrayed by hitting and banging when situations got tense. This is not true of all autistic people, but some, and is now one of the first things that people think of when they think of autism. Many autistic people are high functioning and able to fully participate in society.

• Autism is a form of mental retardation.

Individuals with autism and autism spectrum disorders actually harbor average to above average intelligence. Symptoms of autism include communication issues, difficulty in social situations, and repetitive behavior patterns. At no point does mental retardation ever factor into an autism diagnosis – any possible cases where both conditions are present have nothing to do with one another.  Source

• People with autism have no sense of humor, and are completely unsocial.

Autistic people may not always be able to follow the joke, or understand the refference, but they have been known to crack a joke just as you or I.

• Autistic people don't feel love

Autistic people feel love as much as any 'normal' person, if not more. There was a NYTimes article about a couple with autism in Dec, 2011. [ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/us/navigating-love-and-autism.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 ]

• People with autism cannot function enough on their own to be active members of society. 

Can't function? One autistic girl went all the way to semi-finals in the Miss America pageant, and received the 'People's Choice' award! [ http://www.krtv.com/news/miss-montana-among-15-finalists-in-miss-america-pageant/#_ ]

• All autistic people are the same, or alike. 

Saying that all autistic people are the same is like saying that every snowflake is the same, or that every girl/boy out there is exactly like you. It is untrue. Each person (autistic or not) performs in their own ways at their own speed. 

I hope that this has opened some peoples eyes, either about what they thought they knew about autism, or to realize what other people think. Spread the word about what autism really is.

Do you have any other myths that people come to you believing? Questions? Comments? 

Email us: thecommunicareproject@gmail.com   or tweet us @CommunicareProj

Temper Tantrums

Its time to talk about temper tantrums, and aggressive behavior.

So what do you do when your child (whether they have a 'disability' or not) has a temper-tantrum?

The first thing you can do to prevent these tantrums is to pick your battles.
So your child wants something he/she can't have. Examine your options. 

• How badly does he/she want this thing? 

          If your child only kind-of wants this item, or if he/she can live without it, there is less chance of a meltdown if they don't get what they want. Then its time to consider why you don't want he/she to have it.

• What will be the consequences if he/she does not get what he/she wants?

         I don't just mean consequences for the kid, how will you be affected by this decision? How will your child retaliate if he/she does not get what he/she wants? Will he/she be violent? If so, would it put yourself, the child, or any one else in danger? How worth it is the fight?

• Why should he/she not have that thing?    

         This may make you think a bit: do you have a real reason why your child should not have that item? "Because I said so" is not a legitimate answer, not to a child.

Remember to examine your options and reasons before starting a fight.


So how do you put an end to a tantrum that's already in progress? Give them space, give them time.

• Give them space, don't bombard them, let them come to you

          When a child (or anyone) is angry they react without thinking. Crowding a child, or grabbing (even if for the right reasons) can increase their anger and they may retaliate violently. There are many ways that a person can retaliate, including violence and harmful words. In any case, people may get hurt unintentionally by the child's reaction. You should give them space and let them calm down on their own. They will come out when they feel ready.

• Use some 'calm down' methods

        First try the above method, but for a faster way to end a temper tantrum, you can use many different things.

1. Use sensory objects, something soft and soothing
2. Calm, soothing, music. Instrumentals, or lullabys. 
3. Aromatherapy Dough - it's playdough infused with oils, like mint and rosemary, designed to reduce stress! It can be bought at various stores, and also made at home with this recipe: http://www.supermommoments.com/2011/05/diy-aromatherapy-playdough/
4. The iPad app: Calm Myself Down [https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/calm-myself-down/id535009635?mt=8] is very useful. It walks your child through a step by step procedure, with photos, on calming down. Very effective.

Here are some more helpful links about violence and aggression in children with or without disabilities:

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2010/06/anger-and-violence-in-aspergers.html
http://www.indyschild.com/Articles-i-2011-04-01-251393.112112-Coping-with-Aggression-in-a-Child-with-Autism.html

If you have any more questions, email us at thecommunicareproject@gmail.com or tweet us @CommunicareProj

Questions? Comments? Interested in changing the world? Here's a list of places to read more about us, and our contact information:
Twitter: @CommunicareProj
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/thecommunicareproject/
Email: thecommunicareproject@gmail.com